Pubdate: Thu, 23 Jul 2015 Source: Red Deer Advocate (CN AB) Copyright: 2015 Black Press Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/QU97nuCm Website: http://www.reddeeradvocate.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2492 Author: Mary-Ann Barr Page: A1 HARM REDUCTION IN THE BATTLE AGAINST ADDICTION Every month in Red Deer, the Central Alberta AIDS Network Society gives away an average of 38,000 new needles to individuals who are mostly using drugs that are not prescribed. It raises that bigger question we don't hear very often, perhaps because the helping agencies are just too busy doing the front line work: Why doesn't this city have a residential addictions treatment program? Some of the drugs that people across this region are injecting themselves with include crack cocaine, crystal methamphetamine and opiate derivatives like heroin. The region encompasses the same expansive area as Alberta Health Services' Central Zone - running west to Rocky Mountain House, east to Provost, north to Lamont and south to Drumheller. Red Deer, the largest community in it, is the centre of free needle distribution by CAANS to help prevent deaths and the spread of HIV and hepatitis C. Sharing needles will cause these things to happen. The distribution of free and new needles also saves a lot of money. Research shows that while one needle costs 11 cents, one HIV infection costs $1.3 million. Of course, harm reduction delivery and other associated costs are more than just one needle, but reducing HIV infection does save a great deal of money. CAANS, which receives $191,000 in harm reduction funding from Alberta Health and the AHS Central Zone, is able to connect in a non-judgmental way with people using drugs, and at least help them to understand safe drug use, and proper disposal of needles and other drug debris, as it's called. In April 2011, CAANS gave out 10,385 new needles to people. By March 2015, the number was 37,715. As part of its harm reduction program, CAANS collects used needles, which are then disposed of by a contractor through incineration. Executive director Jennifer Vanderschaeghe says they are seeing a 75 per cent return rate of the 354,000 needles they give out in a year. Any return rate over 50 per cent is considered good. In the last fiscal year (April 1, 2014, to March 31, 2015), they saw 283,292 used needles returned. Of these, 211,058 came back to the CAANS office by way of sharps containers, for example; 45,981 from harm reduction satellite sites; 14,575 from the NightReach program; 31,741 from other organizations in Central Alberta; 5,140 from the drug debris drop boxes in Red Deer; 2,027 from drug debris cleanups; and 118 from homeless camps. Very few if any of the needles being returned have to do with diabetics using CAANS sharps containers or drop boxes, and only a small amount would be tied to steroid use. I don't live under a rock but I have to admit I find the number of needles being given out astonishing. There's a side of life in Red Deer, and many other communities, most of us never see, never know - the complex issue of drug addiction. Safe Harbour, another charitable agency in Red Deer, runs a short-term non-medical detox program to help people withdraw from substances and prepare them for more long-term treatment. A private addiction treatment centre is located at Tees. "We are focused on people who are using drugs that haven't been medically prescribed or are not being medically prescribed to take in that route. So people who are injecting drugs, or smoking crack or crystal meth, and so on," Vanderschaeghe said. She agrees the number of needles being distributed is increasing but that doesn't necessarily mean drug use is on a sharp increase in this community. Vanderschaeghe said that a few years ago they believed they had about 300 clients who were using needles. However, data collection has improved and now the number is more accurate and closer to 400, a fairly stable number the past few years. It could also be that CAANS is getting its message across better. And they are making sure that when they give out harm reduction kits, which also include items like alcohol swabs, sharps containers and tourniquets, people are welcome to take enough needles for themselves and their friends. "We will always give them more." The increase in new needles being provided is in part due to this "peer redistribution," although CAANS would rather connect with these people in person. Overall, the number of people using needles isn't increasing and the number of times CAANS see them isn't increasing, but the amount of needles they are taking is increasing, Vanderschaeghe says. This is probably because people are using drugs that they inject more frequently, and they are giving needles to other people, she believes. Those people redistributing to higher numbers of other people using drugs people tend to live in more isolated communities. Looking at the number of needles given out per capita, CAANS is third highest of four Alberta cities. Edmonton gives out the most, followed by Medicine Hat, and, surprisingly, Calgary is fourth. "It could be that we are doing the job differently," says Vanderschaeghe. All communities are different in how the needle exchange works. Red Deer's program offers 24-hour access to new needles because CAANS has outreach workers who distribute needles every day of the year, and it has fixed and satellite sites, and rural outreach workers. "Do we need sharps containers in bathrooms? Absolutely. Do we need more needle drop boxes? Absolutely. The big deal is do we have residential treatment in Red Deer? Nope," says Vanderschaeghe. "Do we have access to the addictions services we need in Red Deer? Can you get into detox right away? Probably not. Do we have housing? ... There's a whole bunch of services that would make our drug debris simpler. One of them is addictions treatment and the other one is shelter and housing. If people had a bedroom they wouldn't be injecting outside." - --- MAP posted-by: Matt